Method of building reinforced-concrete ships



R. B. SMITH. METHOD OF BUILDING REINFORCED CONCRETE SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- 20, I918.

Patenimi Max. 29 1321 Nonms PETERS. m0, LlTHll, WASHINGTON. D. C

BUSSELL'B. sncrrn, or new yonxyn, g; 4 I I METHOD or Burnniuo REINFOR ED-CONCRETE sures.

Application filed September 20, 1918. Serial No. 254,9 4. i:

To all whom it may concern; 7

Be it known that I, RUSSELL B, SMITH, a citizen of the United States, whose postoflice address is 5 0'East Forty-second street, New York, New York, have invented an Improvement in Methods of Bu1 ld1 ng Reinforced-Concrete Ships, of which the following description, in oonnectlon with the accompanying drawings, is 1 a specification, like letters on the drawings representing llke parts.

The present invention relates to concrete ship construction wherein relnforc ng metallic members are em loyed, and to a novel method of buildingt e same. The ob ects of the invention are to improve and perfect the building of reinforced concrete ship construction, to economize time, labor and material, to employ in an advantageous mannor a cement gun, to apply the concrete d1- rectly on the reinforcing metahand to provide a strong, durable, and serviceable ship or vessel ofreinforced concrete. 7 I

The advantages of reinforced concrete for ship construction have been established and are now Well known and in my. present 1n vention I arrange the building of thereinforcing metal work so that the same Wlll be self-sustaining, eliminatin the use of molds and other temporaryfiamework of this sort and including sufficiently fine wire 'mesh or lath so as to receive andhold the concrete as it is applied'directly thereto by means of a cementgun, ;To this end, I first build up the reinforcmg framework as a fabricated unit of suflicient strength to be self-sustaining and of suflicient thickness and fineness to receive and holdfthe concrete and thenshoot the 'concretethereon from either or both sides of the desired thickness. I am enabled to carry out this process of ship construction in an economical and ad- 'vantageous manner by; ut lizing a novel type of removable supportlng and allnlng chair and construction explainedinzmy coendingapplication, Serial No. 25%983, filed eptember 20,1918. With thls allning chair, I

I can prepare the ways and temporary blocking for the ship, applying a small numberof horizontal and vertical stringers or supports to which thesecremovable chairs are Vaflixed, then building up the metal reinforcement' upon these alining and supporting chairs, thus securingia metal reinforcemen p e e eb y -fli g o e, or more con Specification of LettersPatent. Patntgd M crete-receiving metal meshes and reinforcing b ars-formed together in self-sustaining pos tlon, thereupon removlng ,a suitable section of the stringers and. chairs, leaving the inner metal framework, for this section exposed for shootmg, replacing tempo rary blocking in the completed section and preparing and shooting.the adjacent'secing overrthe inner metal structure.

It is, I believe, entirely new to utilize 1a member such as my type of supporting and alining chair in ship construction, employing such chairs to position, hold, and .aline the various reinforcing instrumentalities,vsuch as meshes,-bars, etc, holding them until they are independently secured togetherfwhich chairs can be either left in permanently or removed, and this feature is of particular importance vvin my present methodof ship construction.

Great speedin construction is possible I with the present invention, the arrangement of'the, alinmg chairs on support's'along .the

bottom of and the sides of the ship being all the framework necessary'and these chairs being applied on spaced stringers or scant.

lings, Vwhereup'on the metal mesh an'd'reinforcing bars are automrticallyalinedby applying the same over and through the supporting chairs.v These .metal reinforcing membersbei-ng at once wired or secured together so that the structure is immediately self-sustalnlng and no very materlal strain j is placed 7 upon the chairs or their supports.

If it is desired to remove the chairs for future use, they'nilaybe securedx'to the 'scantlings or-stringers and removed-by the removalofthe scantllngs, after :the frame-, work 18 wired together and a section s prepared for shooting the concrete. In'aship' of150 to 300 feet in length, I find that it is possible to assemble the entire metal framework in approximately one week, applying the: conecrete thereto 'in -a continuously shooting operation by removing the scantling's in 12 to 15 foot sectionssuccessively, in a second week, and thereafter allowing the concrete to cure in from 10 days to 2 such as the well-known 'Hy-Rib weeks and the vessel is complete. Meanwhile the scantlings and attached cha1rs in case these are removed,-can be set up in the fabrication of a second ship. It will be understood that just prior to the shooting of the concrete, I wouldapply and position the various protecting corner pieces, stem and stern sections, bolts, coamings, for sides and decks, as is customary; My

method eliminates all the prior work heretofore necessary in the building of a complete mold for the ship,particularly dlfilcult around the curved contours at stem and stern of a standard ship model -saving the labor and material therefor and eleminating the old process of. pouring and tamping down 'the concrete and enabling amore more uniformly applied to each side of the f reinforcing, the latter being accurately centered in the mass ofconcrete and covered to any depth. Y a

' Referring to the drawings illustrating the preferred construction, in accordance with my present method; I

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my novel type of supporting andalining chair; Fig. 2 being a fragmentary view partly in cross section, showing the" chairin use; and Fig. 3 being a fragmentary midship half section, illustrating the presentmethod of construction. I

As described in my said co-pending application and as illustrated in Fig.1, my

alining and supporting chair is so'made as to support and position the wire mesh to constitute a concrete-receiving portion of the reinforcement, on one set orplurality of members, i; e. the horizontal members,and

to have a plurality of members at right angles thereto, e. extending vertically, passing through the wire mesh and arranged in spaced pairs to hold and position any additional -strengthening and reinforcing members, such as a second wire mesh and bars or rods. This supporting and alining chair, have described generally as at'A and the same as herein shown comprises a member 1 carrying the vertically extending members 2, 3, 4C, and 5 and horizontally extending members 6 and 7 These horizontal members 6and 7 may be recessed as indicated at 88 or otherwise prepared to interlock with the wire mesh applied th'ereto,

type

wherein the depending rib of the mesh would fit within the recesses 8 of these members. I may also lighten these members by forming the same with the recesses 10-1O 1n the members 6 and 7 and 12 in the member :1, if desired, particularly when the chairs are intended to be left within the concrete as apart of the permanent reinforcement,

thus allowing the concrete to flow therearound and interlock more firmly therewith. As shown in Fig. 2, the chairs A may bepositioned in a plurality of ways to support the fine mesh or Hy-Rib indicatedat 15 and a second heavier wire mesh, for example, a second wire lath, suchas the wellknown Kahn mesh 16 and with the upright members 2, 3, 4,:ind. 5 spacing and alining the heavier reinforcing bars 17, throughout the exterior walls or planking of the ship. These chairs may be of any suitable size for the particular 'work in-"' hand. I can also employ these chairs as'a *basis for building upconcrete ribsor keelsons, as indicated at' B -Bn These chairs being positioned at right angles to the others just described and with equal efficiency, the Hy-Rib l6 resting onthe same, andheavy crossbars 18 constituting the reinforcements orthe concrete ribs 20 being fitted therethroughj In this construction the bars 17 may be deflected to extend over the reinforcing rods 18 andfgive an additional form of truss-like construction. A suitable wire mesh 21' to complete the reinforcement of the ribs 20 would be prepared, all the metal reinforcement being"wired together at suit- "able points, as indicated at 25-25. If it is desired to include the chairs as apart of the permanent structure, then the same,would be also included'in the wiring as'indicated at 26, but it is desired to remove the chairs, then the same would be wired or otherwise secured to the stringers or scantlings 30, removal of" these scantlings, in preparation for the shooting, automatically withdrawing these chairs as they are free to be disconnected from the metal framework, unless wired thereto. I

I have indicated generallytheline of'supports or scantlings 30, illustrating the very small extent of the frameworknecessary in my, present method of reinforced concrete .ship construction. j When'th'ese. scantlings are removed in suitablesections, 6 to 15 feet lengthwise of the ship and from'gunwale to .gunwfale, the concrete is then applied to 'the .entiresection, and built up to'any, suitable thickness, such'for example as'indicated between the lines 32 and 33 and around the ribs 20. Informing such ribs 20 additional bars and wiring as indicated'at 35 may be employed for further strength, uniting the samewith additional reinforcing members 36 at corners or for points where further braces are necessary.

My novel method ofship construction thus enables a reinforced concrete structure to be formed quickly, economically, and with great speed. By building up the unit framework, a minimum of metal is employed and yet this metal is all assembled in exactly the reinforcing position it is desired, it shall take in the completed concrete coating. The positioning of the scantlings and alining chairs thereon automatically determines the position and alinement of the reinforcing metal, holding saidreinforcing metal members in exactly proper position, for strength, and to receive the concrete as applied from a cement gun. The many advantages incident to this method of construction will readily be appreciated by those skilled in the art and a strong, durable reinforced concrete ship'is produced. I

My present invention is further described and defined in the form of claims as follows:

1. The method of reinforced concrete ship construction which consists in placing supporting and alining chairs at spaced intervals on supports, applying a concrete-receiving and retaining metal mesh to said chairs, placing reinforcing bars temporarily in alinement by said chairs, securing the reinforcing metal together into a self-sustain ing unit framework, removing the supports for a predetermined section, applying concrete to the framework, replacing supports under said concreted section and preparing the adjacentsection for the application of concrete and continuing the same until completed.

2. The method of reinforced concrete ship construction which consists in placing supporting and alining chairs at, spaced intervals on supports, applying a concrete-receiving. and retaining metal mesh to said chairs, placing reinforcing bars temporarily in alinement by said chairs, securing the reinforcing metal together into a self-sustaining unit framework, removing the supports for a predetermined section, applying concrete to the framework, and replacing the supports under said concreted section.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. RUSSELL B. SMITH.

Witnesses:

L. A. WALSH,

E. T. VRAIN. 

